Passport Photo Rejected: Why It Happens and What to Do

A rejected passport photo is one of the most frustrating ways to lose time on a passport application. The State Department says unacceptable photos are the number one reason it puts passport applications on hold. The good news is that almost every rejection traces back to a short list of fixable problems, and once you know them you can spot most of them before you submit.

This guide explains why photos get rejected, how you find out, what happens to your application while it waits, and how to send a new photo without making the same mistake twice. Each section links to a detailed guide on one specific problem.

The most common reasons passport photos are rejected

The State Department does not publish a ranked list of rejection reasons with percentages, so be careful with any site that claims exact figures. What it does publish is a set of acceptable and unacceptable photo examples, plus short videos titled after the problems it sees most, such as blurriness and exposure. The reasons below are taken directly from those official examples and from the photo rules in the Foreign Affairs Manual.

• Too closeHead fills the frame

• ShadowsLight from one side

• GlassesReflections hide the eyes

• SmilingMouth must be closed

• Hair over the eyesEyes and eyebrows must be visible

• Busy backgroundUse a plain, light wall

Two of these causes need their own explanation. Lighting problems are covered in how to get rid of shadows in a passport photo and fixing glare and red eye. Quality problems are covered in why a passport photo looks blurry or low quality.

Editing, selfies and old photos: the newer rejection reasons

As more people take passport photos on their phones, three problems have become more visible in the State Department's own guidance.

Edited and filtered photos

The State Department's photo page says not to change your photo using computer software, phone apps or filters, and that it checks photos for images created by generation tools. Its unacceptable examples include a photo where the background was removed with a retouching tool, changing the outline of the head, face and neck. Read what editing is allowed on a passport photo before you touch any slider.

Arm's-length selfies

The official instructions ask you to stand several feet from the camera and face it directly. A selfie taken at arm's length almost always breaks that rule: the head is too large, the face is distorted by the short distance, and the camera is usually above or below eye level. See why selfies get rejected and how to take a phone photo that works.

Reused or scanned photos

Every passport photo must be taken in the last 6 months. For online renewal, the State Department also says not to take a picture of a printed photo or scan a physical photo. The guide on reusing an old passport photo explains what counts as recent.

How you find out your photo was rejected

How you hear about a rejection depends on how you applied.

• Online renewal, at upload: the application's photo tool checks basic requirements when you upload. If the photo is not acceptable, the system tells you what to change and you can try a different photo. This is not a final approval.
• Online renewal, after submission: a State Department employee reviews your photo after the application arrives. If there is a problem, you get a letter or email asking for a new photo.
• Mail renewal (Form DS-82): the intake facility can send a letter if the photo is missing or bad. You must include that letter when you send the new application materials.
• In person (Form DS-11): the acceptance agent may refuse an obviously wrong photo on the spot. Problems found later come by letter or email.

Your online status will show Additional Information Needed on the date the letter or email is sent. Once your response arrives and is logged, it changes to Information Received, In Process Again. You can check this on the official passport status page.

What happens to your application

A photo problem puts your application on hold. The clock that matters is not the normal processing time anymore but your response time.

• You must respond within 90 days of the date on the letter or email.
• Your application may be delayed until you respond. The State Department's status page says processing times may be delayed while the application is on hold.
• Under the State Department's internal rules (8 FAM 402.1-8), if you take no action within 90 days the application is denied, and the application and execution fees are not refunded.
• If you renewed online, your previous passport was canceled when you submitted, so you cannot travel on it while you sort out the photo.

The full step-by-step for online applicants is in what to do when your photo is rejected after online renewal.

How to submit a new photo

1. Read the letter or email carefully. It says what information is needed, the due date and where to send it. Some letters allow a reply by email; the letter tells you if yours does.
2. Find the exact reason. The notice usually names the problem. If it only says the photo is unacceptable, compare your photo against every row of the table above.
3. Take a completely new photo. Do not re-crop or brighten the rejected file. Fix the cause (light, distance, background, glasses) and shoot again.
4. Check it before sending. Run the new photo through our free passport photo checker and compare it with the official examples.
5. Send it the way the letter says. Mailed responses go to the Sterling, Virginia address printed on the letter, by USPS, FedEx or UPS. Include your application number when you call with questions.
6. Watch your status. Wait for the change to Information Received, In Process Again before assuming it arrived.

How to avoid a rejection in the first place

Most rejections can be caught at home in five minutes if you check the photo with fresh eyes, zoomed in, before submitting.

• Shoot in daylight facing a window, with a plain white or off-white wall several feet behind you.
• Have someone else hold the camera at your eye level, several feet away.
• Take off glasses, hats, headphones and anything that covers part of your face.
• Keep a neutral expression or a natural smile with your mouth closed and both eyes open.
• Use the camera's highest quality setting and transfer the original file, not a messaging copy.
• Do not use filters, portrait mode effects, skin smoothing or background replacement.
• Check the head size and framing against the full U.S. passport photo requirements.

More guides on lighting, backgrounds and phone settings are collected in our passport guides.